First, read the original post and the comments over at Oleg’s place.
There are some interesting comments, well worth reading, but they fail to see the bigger picture, I think. It took me a while to think of it, though it shouldn’t have done. I now see it as obvious.
Any widespread insurgency in America is really the kick-starter to global chaos, and for some of our enemies that is actually the plan – take advantage of a weakened and distracted America. Collapse the system into a new system. Twelfth Imam and all that rot.
So no.
We had best get our own houses in order, and look at our Progressive (incremental communist) neighbors as part of our country, which absolutely MUST hold together. “Last great hope for liberty” and “with malice toward none” come to mind. I hope you have your beliefs and your communication skills well-honed. You’ll need both, and by the way the latter doesn’t exist without the former – you know it.
Compromise with evil will get us nowhere and open warfare amongst us will get us all destroyed. That leaves us a very narrow, delicate path then, doesn’t it? Our enemies know it too. Interestingly, that applies to your personal life as well as your public life and the global situation.
So we’re boned then, huh?
I am reminded of the Dune books by Herbert. The paths taken by the protagonists were variations on the unthinkable, one path leading to tens of billions dead in galactic jihad, another to loss of self through deals with devils, and yet another to self responsibility leading to an altruistic act for the preservation of others.
There are a lot of paths people can take. Most of them are easier than others, and that guides their choice. A few are really difficult, with uncertain success, and fewer, far fewer, take those paths.
I believe there will come a time in our Republic where a Fork in the Road is reached. One path leads to the Marxist “End of History,” and the other leads to a Restoration. One third of the U.S. Citizenry TODAY are more than willing to become the “New Soviet Man,” even if they can’t spell “Soviet.” Another third, if push comes to shove, will say “Enough!” But neither side has the Political Votes to force one direction or the other.
Which leaves the Fate of the Republic in the hands of the so-called “Independents.” But the problem with taking a Political Stance in “the Middle of the Road” is that one can be run over from both Directions.
But I don’t think the World will collapse due to the United States sliding into Chaos. I think that it is already on the way, and the United States may be the LAST to go off the Edge. It’s really looking like the late 1930’s out in the rest of the Planet, and there’s nothing the United States can do to stop it. There are 7 Billion People on Earth today, and there’s only so much Food and Energy and Technology to handle the Basics. And half of them have Governments that don’t care one Iota about the Masses, just as long as the Political Elites get to stay in Charge.
But here’s one thing to think about. Sniper Training is Good, but 60% of the United States Population live in Urban/Suburban Environs. So if (God Forbid!) Civil War does break out, the Battleground will probably be more like Stalingrad or Budapest or Fallujah than the Normandy Plains. So unless the Bad Guys want to level the City, Air Support and Heavy Artillery will be negated.
So the M4, the AK,the 12 Gauge and the Glock will be the “Kings of the Battlefield,” not the M24.
So let’s do our best to NOT turn into 1990’s Yugoslavia, okay? Ask any Iraq Vet what it was like to be Ramallah or Baghdad or Fallujah, and let’s not have our Troops be forced to repeat those experiences here in Detroit, LA, Seattle, Cleveland…..
Every wannabe Dictator, and I include the current POTUS in that category, learns that the ultimate source of power comes not by force of arms but with the basic truth that learning to kowtow and say, “yes, Massa” is easy. All such wannabes must constantly work towards maximizing the number of co-dependents. As that number becomes a majority of the wannabe’s subjects, it becomes easier and easier for the wannabe to identify those who resist becoming subjects.
The USA is at a decision point, with the co-dependent becoming almost a majority. Will we choose to continue to increase the numbers of the co-dependent, or will a renewed appreciation for independence and self-sufficiency start to reduce the numbers of co-dependents?
We jump the shark by discussing taking the field against this Government. The preferred weapons of fighting this wannabe-Dictator are still psychological, and will remain so for a while. If the softer ones amongst the co-opted co-dependents can be made to see just how bad the consequences of their choice are, a significant fraction of them will be turned back to self-sufficiency. The next 16 Days will tell if I’m correct.
It seems every one of the dependants wants to be that person getting that last confiscated dollar.
@Rivrdog; I don’t believe the election, in and of itself, will solve anything except to stop the hacking away at America. After that there is the bleeding to stop, and so on. If Romney wins, the Left Media will suddenly get critical of America’s situation after years of whitewashing it. The rabble will become more roused. Once the economy starts to ramp up, then we get hit with alarming inflation. It’s already been set up. So it gets ugly after the election no matter which way it goes.
I think it will be up to the states to lead the way.
@Bubblehead; There are Independents and then there are moderates. They’re not the same thing. I’m an independent in that I am disgusted with the Parties, but I’m certainly not a “moderate”. People guided by principles are not moderates. In our current politi-speak, anyone guided by principles is an extremist, as the unstated claim is that no principle should be beyond compromise (except for free birth control and free abortion on demand, any time, any where, including the Vatican). So many electioneers try to target the tiny number of “swing voters” while ignoring the far greater number of people who are too disgusted to vote. An unapologetic, articulate truth teller could get those non voters and make voters out of them. We just haven’t seen that person run for office.
There should be a third piece, in addition to Oleg’s and mine, detailing the reasons why we should have hope. I’m just not the person to do it as it’s still too foggy for me.
BTW: Your neighbor to the north (your largest trading partner) is momentarily less communist than the USA. Therein exists the possibility of a reciprocal ‘freedom’ race – better even than the space race, I think; and no need for any violence or anything like that.
‘is that one can be run over from both Directions.’
No. One will only be run over, as always, by the most consistent of the alternatives.